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Campaign

BOOKS ARE MY BAG is a nationwide campaign to celebrate bookshops. This collaboration between publishers, bookshops and authors is the biggest ever promotion of bookshops. For many people bookshops conjure fond images of book readings, in-store cafes and delight at the discovery of a new author. And in fact, 56% of all book buying decisions are made by consumers in a bookshop - but we must continue to celebrate - and shop in! - our fabulous high street bookshops.

The Campaign
BOOKS ARE MY BAG, celebrates books and bookshops and the simple truth that bookshops do more physically to let people enjoy their passion for books. Booksellers, publishers and authors have come together with the country’s most iconic advertising agency, M&C Saatchi, to create a simple but universal message about the joy of books and bookshops. BOOKS ARE MY BAG is the biggest-ever campaign for bookshops and is a joint Booksellers Association/Publishers Association initiative, created pro bono by the advertising agency, M & C Saatchi.

Publishers
BOOKS ARE MY BAG has the support of all of the country’s major trade publishers and the Publishers Association. BOOKS ARE MY BAG celebrates the vital role that booksellers play in engaging readers. Many publishers have already contributed by making some of their high-profile authors available for the photo campaign, by supporting BOOKS ARE MY BAG financially, or both. To find out how you can be part of BOOKS ARE MY BAG contact: jo.james@booksaremybag.com

Booksellers
Bookshops are at the very core of BOOKS ARE MY BAG. The high street campaign uses your prize asset – your customers – as walking advertisements for bookshops.

AuthorsBOOKS ARE MY BAG also celebrates the vital role that authors play in supporting bookshops. The Campaign welcomes authors into bookshops and allows authors to express their love for their own local bookshop.

Campaign 2017

Iconic designer, Orla Kiely, has been revealed as the designer of this year’s Collectors’ Edition Books Are My Bag tote bag. Award-winning Gruffalo children’s illustrator, Axel Scheffler, has been announced as this year’s children’s bag designer.

Bookshop Day, which launched in 2016 and led to one of UK’s biggest weeks of bookshop sales of the year, will return on Saturday 7th October.

The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, the first book award curated by bookshops and voted for by book lovers, which launched in 2016, will return 21st November.

BAMB Readers Awards 2016

We launched the first-ever Books Are My Bag Readers Awards with our sponsor National Book Tokens in October 2016 with the winners announcements taking place at Foyles, Charing Cross Road in November. Read about the shortlists and winners here.

Campaign 2016

Award-winning designer Coralie Bickford-Smith will design the collectors' edition bag and our children's bag will feature a Winnie-the-Pooh design from Egmont Publishing to celebrate his 90th anniversary. We're also delighted to have an exclusive Irish bag designed by Fatti Burke and a Welsh bag which translates to 'seas and mountains of books'.

The BFG is my Bag 2016

We worked with Quentin Blake, Penguin Random House and the Roald Dahl Literary Estate to create these whoopsy wiffling bags for bookshops. To coincide with the BFG movie starring Mark Rylance and directed by Steven Spielberg, the bags were available from bookshops on movie-release day, July 22nd.

The Bard is my Bag 2016

Shakespeare Saturday took place 23 April and celebrated the life of Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death. There was coverage and celebration throughout the year; from the BBC, the RSC, the Globe, in schools, and of course, in bookshops. Up for grabs on the day was the exclusive 'The Bard is my Bag' tote bag which was available from bookshops.

Campaign 2015

The 2015 campaign took place Thursday 8th October, Super Thursday and finished on Saturday 10th October.

Award-winning artist Grayson Perry designed the collectors' edition Books Are My Bag bag and we had a wonderful children's bag designed by author and creator of the Charlie & Lola books, Lauren Child (Hachette Children's Books).

Campaign 2014

The 2014 campaign launched on Thursday 9th October, Super Thursday in the publishing calendar and finished on Saturday 11th October with Big Bookshop Parties. Award-winning artist Tracey Emin designed the limited-edition Books Are My Bag tote bag, available in both independent and chain bookshops. Like 2013, Books Are My Bag had a lot of support from authors and celebrities.

Campaign 2013

The 2013 campaign took place on Saturday 14th September and ran through until Christmas. Over 150 well-known book lovers were photographed holding the iconic BAMB bag, and the social media campaign connected thousands of book lovers to bookshops.